Ascended/Darkin
Lore The Darkin "We had another name once... Now, we are Darkin." The Darkin are stated to be a collection of sentient weapons by Eduard SantangeloDarkin are Sentient Weapons and , of which only three have been revealed in modern times so far. In truth, the Darkin are corrupt Ascended who were imprisoned within their own weapons in an act that ultimately ended The Darkin War. The nature of their corruption is implied to be self-inflicted after the mental scar left from the horrors of countless wars and those witnessed in the Void War, finally taking its toll on them centuries later with death during his Ascension and the subsequent fall of Shurima, leaving them feeling purposeless, betrayed and forgotten by the world they once swore to protect to which they gave their mortal lives to fight for. In the centuries since, a handful of these weapons have been rediscovered by the ignorant and the ambitious alike. Darkin Champions Other Related Champions * was previously the ruler of above all Ascended, some of which later became Darkin. * wields . * and are part of the body known as . * gave the Runeterrans the knowledge to seal away the Darkin during The Great Darkin War. * fought along side Ascended that later became the Darkin, before Shurima's fall. * fought against the Darkin during The Great Darkin War. * fought along side Ascended that later became the Darkin, before Shurima's fall. * is the sole survivor of massacre in Freljord. * learns blood magic from a Darkin. He is also the leader of Crimson Circle, a cult of hemomancers, all learn blood magic from the Darkin. Physiology Darkin God-Warriors, Unbound.jpg|God-Warriors, Unbound Darkin The Great Darkin War.jpg|The Great Darkin War Darkin To Slay Legends.jpg|To Slay Legends The Darkin began their story as revered human warriors of Ancient Shurima, Ascended into serving against the threat from the threshold. After finally halting the Void's perverse incursion, the surviving Ascended entitled themselves as "Sunborn" as first witnesses of a dawn of peace they brought to a now safe world. Centuries after an age of war with the Void, despite their divine makeup, their minds remained as frail as the mortals they once were. When the light of Shurima finally left the world, many of the immortal Ascended found themselves lost. With no emperor to lead them, these “darkin” eventually fell to warring among their own kind—and the peoples of Runeterra were caught in the middle.The ceaseless warring and the horrors they witnessed slowly took their toll, leading them to fight over who was worthy of taking over the world that forgot them. This started the War of the Sunborn, known better to the world as the Darkin War. The laws of mortal life held little meaning for the darkin. Over the centuries, they mastered many forbidden forms of primal magic, crafting their own flesh and armor with equal ease, until they were completely unrecognizable as the noble warriors they had once been. During the Darkin War depictions of the self-corrupted Sunborn, now known as Darkin, as already having a demonic appearance—the result of using blood magic, fueled with each mortal and Darkin life they took, to reshape their own bodies and armor and meld them as one. Toward the end of the Darkin War, the Darkin were imprisoned within their own weapons and wielded against their brethren until all who remained were likewise trapped. Those who held a Darkin would gain a portion of their power, but through a host was also the only avenue through which a Darkin to gain a mockery of freedom. Even when able to wrest absolute control of a body, the power of a Darkin is too much for any mortal body to contain - condemning the Darkin to a fate of constantly harvesting life force, eventually completely depleting the mortal's energy and being forced to seek another host, lest they be rendered inanimate once more. To date, a golden-armored warrior queen is the only being known to have held a Darkin and not succumbed to its will. That said, her final act after dispatching all other Darkin was to trap herself and within a well in Pallas, condemning herself but denying the Darkin freedom as well. Known Traits Kayn Darkin Corruption.jpg|Darkin Corruption Varus Darkin A Legacy Of Pain.jpg|A Legacy of Pain As an Ascended is created, a celestial concept merges with their mortal body and gains them ascended power. When a Darkin is trapped, that concept is trapped/deleted. Humans no longer could even have the thought/idea of what the Darkin was the avatar of. Darkin and celestial concept From the moment a darkin weapon chooses a host, that mortal will find themselves compelled by a power they can scarcely hope to master—no matter what seductive whispers they might hear in their mind. That power will soon take root in flesh and bone, reshaping them into a new, monstrous amalgam. The weapon's wielder and any Darkin trapped within seem to enter a symbiotic relationship, the wielder gaining a portion of the Darkin's power and the Darkin in turn gain some agency and a venue of freedom. However, the Darkin can parasitically dominate their wielder, thereby annihilating the wielder's personality while in turn freely affirming their agency; similarly, the wielder can extirpate the Darkin's persona to gain full access to the weapon's power. In both cases, the dominated other is described as "dying". Though the darkin’s hunger for vengeance is inhuman and eternal, they must overcome the limitations of their new form if they are ever to sate it. Memories of who they once were, what they aspired to be, and what they have become, all now blur together in their flawed, mortal minds. usurped his wielder long ago. actively seeks to gain control over body. has yet to fully take control of both and in their tri-symbiotic existence. asserts that will die if Kayn "lets go" of the scythe, while it is implied the Darkin's power is lost if they are killed in this fashion. However, Kayn's statement may simply imply that Rhaast will suffer, much like other known Darkin, complete immobility and sensory deprivation until another takes up the scythe. According to Aatrox, this is a fate far worse than death, for the Darkin remains conscious for the full length of their imprisonment. Trivia * Each Aspect is an embodiment of a concept, if they die, the concept they embody (war, twilight, wandering and etc.) will disappear from reality, changing it as a whole. The Darkin had their celestials/concepts already erased, but the efforts of other ascended and mortals with sealing the darkin prevent them from fading into nothingness.Aspects and Darkin Concepts 1Aspects and Darkin Concepts 2 * It was revealed during AMA that all Darkin are essentially "Artificial Aspects": The celestial ideals which the they (the souls within the weapons) derived power are long gone, making their ascension difficult to reverse.Aatrox AMA * The entity known as was an elite warrior of Shurima and confidant of Queen Setaka. He fought in the Void War and was traumatized, which led to his self-corruption after death and the fall of Shurima. Freed after millenia imprisoned, he now seeks the destruction of Runeterra - if only to end his own suffering. ** With initial release, it was believed that the Darkin were a race of demon-like beings. However, in and teaser it was stated that the Darkin were a collection of sentient weapons. With release, a Rioter stated that the Darkin are powerful beings and that only the Darkin were imprisoned within their weapons. With lore update that established him as Darkin, it was simultaneously established that the 'powerful beings' were alien refuges that were fleeing the Void's corruption and alien invaders who sought the power of World Runes, with his comic and short story providing different accounts of the Darkin's reason for being on Runeterra. In the refuge account, they were initially revered for their god-like power, but relations eventually turned to war. Both stories culminate in the Darkin's death and/or imprisonment. Aatrox's rework re-established them as having a terrestrial origin, revealing that they were corrupted Ascended before their imprisonment. * was sealed away inside the Pit of Pallas in Ionia by a golden-armored warrior queen, before he was released by Valmar and Kai during the Noxian Invasion. * It is speculated that might also be a Darkin infused weapon, in observance that melee based Darkin tend to have life stealing properties in their kit and lore. * The fate of varies from game-to-game: either killing to become dominant over his body, or being destroyed by , based on the outcome of Quest. * Despite it seems that the Darkin's corruption is the result of Void-corruption contracted from exposure during the Void War, commonly those psychologically affected by it (e.g.: and Rasho from Into the Abyss) disregard themselves and give in mind and soul to the Void, opposite to the Darkin's intentions of conquering the world for themselves. Rather, their corruption originates as the result of an extreme form of - for what they witnessed in that war, and what can do to them and the world. * Other notable Ascended who were referred to as Darkin were: Ta’anari (Panther), Enakai (Tiger), Syphax (Chameleon), Zigantus '''(Bull), '''Xuuyan (Turtle), Shabaka and Shabake (Raven twins), Moneerah (Unknown), Valeeva (Unknown), Cebotaru (Wolf), and Naganeka (Snake). * Darkin hearts were used by , as the key to seal away the Darkin inside their weapon prisons. * The two factions within original lore, the Protectorate and the Magelords, were highly likely to be the two factions represented on Summoner's Rift.Dev Blog: Finding your place on the Rift ** A stone mural can be seen along the north edge of the map that depicts two factions surrounding a crystal, with a small carving of him visible to the left. * Based on biography, Lunar magic allows things to phase into the spirit realm, which would explain how Lunar magic morphed the Darkin's bodies into spirits that were fused into their weapons. * Though it is unconfirmed, Valeeva might be Varus' long lost Darkin sister. Media Music= ;Related Music Aatrox, the Darkin Blade - Login Screen| Varus, the Arrow of Retribution - Login Screen| Varus As We Fall League of Legends Music| Darkin Kayn - Login Screen| Shadow Kayn - Login Screen| Ignite (ft. Zedd) Worlds 2016 - League of Legends| |-|Videos= ;Related Videos League of Legends - Ingame Animation Reel| Varus Art Spotlight| Kayn The Path of Shadows New Champion Teaser - League of Legends| The Story Behind Varus Retribution League of Legends| Aatrox The Darkin Blade Champion Trailer - League of Legends| |-|Gallery= Darkin Twilight of the Gods.jpg|Varus, Rhaast and Aatrox presumably before becoming Darkin Aatrox Concept 01.png|Aatrox Concept 1 (by Riot Artist Eoin Colgan) Aatrox Concept 02.jpg|Aatrox Concept 2 (by Riot Artist Eoin Colgan) Aatrox Concept 03.jpg|Aatrox Concept 2 (by Riot Artist Eoin Colgan) Aatrox Concept 04.jpg|Aatrox Concept 3 (by Riot Artist Eoin Colgan) Aatrox Concept 05.jpg|Aatrox Concept 4 (by Riot Artist Eoin Colgan) Aatrox Update concept 01.jpg|Aatrox Update Concept 1 (by Riot Artist David 'Sharpcut93' Ko) Aatrox Update concept 02.jpg|Aatrox Update Concept 2 (by Riot Artist David 'Sharpcut93' Ko) Aatrox Update concept 03.jpg|Aatrox Update Concept 3 (by Riot Artist David 'Sharpcut93' Ko) Aatrox Update concept 04.jpg|Aatrox Update Concept 4 (by Riot Artist David 'Sharpcut93' Ko) Aatrox Update concept 05.jpg|Aatrox Update Concept 5 (by Riot Artist David 'Sharpcut93' Ko) Aatrox Update concept 06.jpg|Aatrox Update Concept 6 (by Riot Artist David 'Sharpcut93' Ko) Aatrox Update Model 01.png|Aatrox Update Model Aatrox Update Splash concept 01.jpg|Aatrox Update Splash Concept 1 (by Riot Artist Victor '3rdColossus' Maury) Aatrox Update Splash concept 02.gif|Aatrox Update Splash Concept 2 (by Riot Artist Victor '3rdColossus' Maury) Aatrox Update Splash concept 03.jpg|Aatrox Update Splash Concept 3 (by Riot Artist Victor '3rdColossus' Maury) Aatrox Update Splash concept 04.jpg|Aatrox Update Splash Concept 4 (by Riot Artist Victor '3rdColossus' Maury) Kayn Teaser 01.jpg|Kayn Teaser Kayn Concept 01.gif|Kayn Concept 1 (by Riot Artist Alexandr Pechenkin) Kayn Concept 02.jpg|Kayn Concept 2 (by Riot Artist Alexandr Pechenkin) Kayn Concept 03.jpg|Kayn Concept 3 (by Riot Artist Alexandr Pechenkin) Kayn Concept 04.jpg|Kayn Concept 4 (by Riot Artist Alexandr Pechenkin) Kayn Concept 05.jpg|Kayn Concept 5 (by Riot Artist Alexandr Pechenkin) Kayn Concept 06.jpg|Kayn Concept 6 (by Riot Artist Alexandr Pechenkin) Kayn Concept 07.jpg|Kayn Concept 7 (by Riot Artist Alexandr Pechenkin) Kayn Concept 08.jpg|Kayn Concept 8 (by Riot Artist Alexandr Pechenkin) Kayn Concept 09.jpg|Kayn Concept 9 (by Riot Artist Hing 'Hdot' Chui) Kayn Concept 10.jpg|Kayn Concept 10 (by Riot Artist Hing 'Hdot' Chui) Kayn Concept 11.jpg|Kayn Concept 11 (by Riot Artist Hing 'Hdot' Chui) Kayn Concept 12.jpg|Kayn Concept 12 (by Riot Artist Hing 'Hdot' Chui) Kayn Concept 13.jpg|Kayn Concept 13 (by Riot Artist Hing 'Hdot' Chui) Kayn Concept 14.jpg|Kayn Concept 14 (by Riot Artist Hing 'Hdot' Chui) Kayn Concept 15.jpg|Kayn Concept 15 (by Riot Artist Hing 'Hdot' Chui) Kayn Concept 16.jpg|Kayn Concept 16 (by Riot Artist Hing 'Hdot' Chui) Kayn Concept 17.jpg|Kayn Concept 17 (by Riot Artist Hing 'Hdot' Chui) Kayn Concept 18.jpg|Kayn Concept 18 (by Riot Artist Hing 'Hdot' Chui) Kayn Concept 19.jpg|Kayn Concept 19 (by Riot Artist Hing 'Hdot' Chui) Kayn Concept 20.jpg|Kayn Concept 20 (by Riot Artist Hing 'Hdot' Chui) Kayn Concept 21.jpg|Kayn Concept 21 (by Riot Artist Hing 'Hdot' Chui) Kayn Concept 22.jpg|Kayn Concept 22 (by Riot Artist Hing 'Hdot' Chui) Kayn Model 01.jpg|Kayn Model 1 (by Riot Artist Maryna Aleksandrova) Kayn Model 02.png|Kayn Model 2 (by Riot Artist Maryna Aleksandrova) Kayn Model 03.png|Kayn Model 3 (by Riot Artist Maryna Aleksandrova) Kayn Model 04.png|Kayn Model 4 (by Riot Artist Maryna Aleksandrova) Kayn Model 05.png|Kayn Model 5 (by Riot Artist Maryna Aleksandrova) Kayn Darkin Corruption.jpg|Kayn "Darkin Corruption" Illustration (by Riot Artist Max 'Hexadriven' Zhang) Kayn The Path of Shadows 01.jpg|Kayn "The Path Of Shadows" Illustration 1 (by Riot Artist Elena 'Hellstern' Bespalova) Kayn The Path of Shadows 02.jpg|Kayn "The Path Of Shadows" Illustration 2 (by Riot Artist Elena 'Hellstern' Bespalova) Kayn The Path of Shadows 03.jpg|Kayn "The Path Of Shadows" Illustration 3 (by Riot Artist Elena 'Hellstern' Bespalova) Varus Teaser.jpg|Varus Teaser Varus Concept 01.jpg|Varus Concept (by Riot Artist Eoin Colgan) Varus Model 01.jpg|Varus Model 1 (by Riot Artist Oscar 'shadowMacuahuitl' Monteon) Varus Model 02.jpg|Varus Model 2 (by Riot Artist Oscar 'shadowMacuahuitl' Monteon) Varus Model 03.png|Varus Model 3 (by Riot Artist Oscar 'shadowMacuahuitl' Monteon) Varus Update Splash concept 01.jpg|Varus Update Splash Concept 1 (by Riot Artist Jessica 'OwleyCat' Oyhenart) Varus Update Splash concept 02.jpg|Varus Update Splash Concept 2 (by Riot Artist Jessica 'OwleyCat' Oyhenart) Varus Update Splash concept 03.jpg|Varus Update Splash Concept 3 (by Riot Artist Jessica 'OwleyCat' Oyhenart) Varus Darkin A Legacy Of Pain.jpg|Varus "A Legacy of Pain" Illustration (by Riot Artist Max 'Hexadriven' Zhang) See also * Where Icathia Once Stood * The Legend of the Darkin * Twilight of the Gods de:Die Düsteren pl:Darkin pt-br:Darkin Category:Ascended Category:Races Category:Factions Category:Shurima